April Exhibit, Events and Featured Artist

Art Presence Art Center will exhibit “The Fine Art of Pastels” during the month of April. Linda Evans will have a solo show of her pastels in the front gallery.

Evans will also demonstrate her process on April 6th from 2 – 3 pm.

The main gallery will feature a woodlands and wildflower theme to celebrate the Jacksonville Woodlands Hike-a-thon, which will be on the courthouse grounds on April 20th this year. Members of Art Presence will be drawing and painting on the grounds. Walking Sticks designed and painted by artist members will be for sale to benefit the Woodlands trail building and management efforts.

The gallery will be open each Friday, Saturday and Sunday in April from 11 to 5. Call 541-941-7057 for more information.

Still Life, pastel by Linda Evans

Local painter Linda Elesiya Evans lives in Phoenix, Oregon. She graduated with a B.A. in English & Art from U.C. Davis in 1970, having studied with world renowned California artists Wayne Thiebaud, Manuel Neri, William Wiley, Roland Peterson, Jose Arguelles & Robert Arneson.

For the next 35 years her focus was on make-up artistry for major companies – Clinique, Shiseido, Chanel & Aveda – as an esthetician, educator & retail business owner. Then in Jan. 2006, at a major life turning point, her inner guidance said, “Paint for the joy of it!”

Classes at the Sonoma Community Center & a workshop with Camille Przewodek, California plein-air colorist provided just the right spark. Medford artist Roni Marsh has introduced Linda to the fine art of pastel painting. In 2007, Linda also studied with internationally known instructors Terri Ford & Bob Rohm, & in 2009 & 2010 with master pastellist Albert Handell. She dedicated 2011 to advancing her oil painting skills with Mount Shasta’s Stefan Baumann. Now Linda exhibits paintings in both media in local & state galleries & competitions, and she has won awards & press coverage for her “Personalitrees” series.

“The beauty of the landscape of the Rogue Valley, Oregon and California coasts, Wine Country, and the Sierra Nevada, has always called to me. Preserving an appreciation of our beautiful western environment, whether it be in panoramic landscapes or intimate close-ups of Nature, is my artistic goal. My strongest influences continue to be the French Impressionists, the California Impressionists, and my own intuitive observations, especially when painting ‘en plein-air.’ ”